Lips of an Angel
by E. Limberg
Summary: MacPeyton, FlackStella, MacStella. Stella finds Mac and Peyton kissing at the lab and is upset by it. She seeks comfort in Flack. Then Mac proposes to Peyton, angering Stella even more. Right before the wedding, he makes a very important descision.


**Lips of an Angel**

"_Honey, why you calling me so late?_

_It's kinda hard to talk right now_

_Honey, why are you crying?_

_Is everything okay?_

_I gotta whisper 'cause I can't be too loud"_

"Stella," Mac calls after her, letting go of Peyton. "I can explain."

She turns around. "I don't want to hear it, Mac. Just ignore me and continue kissing your girlfriend."

"Listen to me," he grabs her shoulder.

"Why should I have to listen to your explanation for this when you probably were never going to tell me? I don't care so save your breath."

Peyton steps forward, "Stella, if you're upset by Mac and I dating, I'm sorry."

"Why would I have a problem with Mac moving on? I don't, unless it's with someone who doesn't deserve a man like him. You're fine, Peyton," Stella turns to Mac and pulls his hand off of her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you wouldn't approve of it."

"I'm happy for you, Mac. Really. I'll leave you two alone now. Have fun," she forces herself to smiles before heading to the locker room. Once inside, she lets the tears fall.

"Mac, I want an honest answer," Peyton says to him. "Do you care about Stella as more than your partner?"

"Yeah, she's my friend, Peyton. I care about her too."

"But do you have any… romantic feelings for her?"

"No," Mac frowns. "We are too close to be more than just friends. It just wouldn't be right."

"If you're just friends, her opinion on who you date shouldn't matter this much to you. It's your choice," she watches him closely.

"I… want her blessing. It feels like I'm betraying her if she doesn't approve."

Peyton knows there is more but leaves it be. "We're going to be late for dinner."

"_Well, my girl's in the next room_

_Sometimes I wish she was you_

_I guess we never really moved on_

_It's really good to hear your voice saying my name_

_It sounds so sweet_

_Coming from the lips of an angel_

_Hearing those words, it makes me weak"_

"Stella, what's wrong?" Flack walks into the locker room to find her on a bench, crying.

"It's nothing, Don. Don't worry about me."

He sits down beside her. "I know you. It takes a lot to make you cry. Something is obviously wrong. And I'm not leaving until you tell me."

"Mac. There, will you leave me alone now?" she wipes her eyes.

"No can do. What about Mac is bothering you?"

"I can take care of myself, Flack."

"I know you can, Stel. Keeping it inside won't help you," he puts an arm around her shoulders. "How about we go get a cup of coffee and talk?"

Stella accepts and gathers her coat and purse from her locker.

_**Lips of an Angel**_

"Mac's dating Peyton. Did you know that?" she asks, sipping her hot drink.

He shakes his head. "When did you find out?"

"Right before you found me. He's so clueless sometimes."

"In what way?"

"I've always cared about him," she looks away. "I thought we could be more than friends. Obviously, he doesn't care about me in that way."

"I think he's the only one who hasn't noticed that yet," Don places a hand over hers. "Maybe it's for the best with the way you two argue," he attempts to joke.

"I always told myself it couldn't happen because he was my boss. Mac apparently doesn't care if he dates a coworker after all," Stella sighs. "I feel like such an idiot."

"You're anything but an idiot, Stel," Flack wipes away a tear.

"_And I never wanna say goodbye_

_But, girl, you make it hard to be faithful_

_With the lips of an angel"_

Stella sits down at the computer, fingerprint lifts in hand. She places one on the scanner and turns the machine on. The print appears on the screen, and she runs it through AFIS, hoping for a match. No match found; she does the same with the next one.

"Got anything?" Danny walks in with two cups of coffee.

She takes one, "Nope."

"I do. It's really good gossip. Of course, as his best friend, you probably know this already."

"Know what?" Stella turns to him. She and Mac hadn't really talked over the past four weeks unless it concerned work. No one had noticed the change yet.

"I can't believe he didn't tell you."

"What is it, Danny?" she asks impatiently.

"Mac proposed to Peyton last night," he smiles. "It's good to see him happy again."

"How do you know this information?"

"I saw Peyton this morning and noticed the ring; when I asked her about it, she said he proposed to her last night," Danny shrugs. "Didn't he ask you what you thought of them?"

"No. If you haven't noticed yet, we've kind of been avoiding each other."

"What, are you mad at him or something?"

"I can't tell you, Danny, or the whole lab will find out," Stella scans the last print.

"I won't tell anyone. Your secret is safe."

"It was risky enough for me to tell Don; I'm not telling you too."

"Come on; Mac won't find out," he bribes her.

"I've loved Mac all along. He's just too blind to see it," she looks through the glass walls to his office.

"_It's funny that you're calling me tonight_

_And, yes, I've dreamt of you too_

_And does he know you're talking to me?_

_Will it start a fight?_

_No, I don't think she has a clue"_

Stella knocks on his door before opening it. "Hey."

Mac motions for her to sit. "I have something to tell you."

"You're engaged."

"How did you find out?"

"Danny saw Peyton with the ring and told me. I'm happy for you, Mac. How's the transition going?"

"It'll be a while before the wedding. I didn't realize that I still miss Claire this much," he looks out at the skyline.

She notices the sadness in his eyes. "I'll still be there for you, if you need me. I know you'll have Peyton, but…"

"It wouldn't be right to grieve for you wife in the arms of your fiancée," Mac finishes her statement.

"No, just… if you're having a tough time before the wedding and need to talk or whatever."

"I know that, Stel. You've been hanging out with Flack a lot recently. Are you two dating?"

"Oh, um… I guess you could kind of call it that. Don's a big help to me. With him, I don't interrupt your dates and anything else you and Peyton are doing," Stella shivers at the thought of the two of them in bed together.

"Good to see you moving on after Frankie last year. And if you need anything at all, just let me know."

Her heart breaks as she touches his arm. "Congratulations, again. Tell Peyton I said so too."

Down the hall outside Mac's office, Stella runs into Flack. "They're engaged," she hugs him, tears dampening his jacket.

"It's okay, Stel. You deserve better than him," he whispers.

"Is what we're doing considered dating?"

"If you want it to be."

"_Well, my girl's in the next room_

_Sometimes I wish she was you_

_I guess we never really moved on_

_It's really good to hear your voice saying my name_

_It sounds so sweet_

_Coming from the lips of an angel_

_Hearing those words, it makes me weak"_

"Hey, Mac. Do you need us to come in?" Stella answers her phone in the middle of the night.

"Us? Who's with you?"

"Um… Flack."

"No, I'm not calling about a case," he thinks about the two of them together.

"What do you want then?"

"Stella, why don't you want me to be with Peyton?"

"You don't need to know, Mac. Why did you call at one-thirty in the morning instead of a normal hour?"

"Peyton is jealous of you. She'll kill me if she finds out I'm calling you, and it's not work related."

Stella sighs, moving away from Don so she doesn't wake him, and lets the tears come. "I never pictured her as the jealous type."

"I haven't figured out why she doesn't like you yet."

"Why are you marrying her then?" she says angrily. "Isn't it obvious? She doesn't want you to be near another woman because she thinks you'll cheat on her which you would never in a million years do."

"Stel," Mac begins, "are you crying?"

"No," she lies, sniffling.

"Yes, you are. What's wrong?"

"You. I don't want you to marry her, Mac."

"What do you have against her?" he looks at the woman sleeping beside him.

"I don't have anything against her except that she's with you."

"You're jealous, Stella Bonasera."

"So?" The tears fall freely across her cheeks, leaving a hot trail. "I love you, Mac."

"I don't know what to say," he replies. "I'm getting married, Stella."

"Good night, Mac," she hangs up and cuddles up to Don, crying silently to herself.

"_And I never wanna say goodbye_

_But, girl, you make it hard to be faithful_

_With the lips of an angel"_

"What are you wearing to the wedding?" Lindsay asks, sitting around the break room with Flack and Stella.

"I'm not sure I'm going to Mac's wedding," Stella studies her bottle of water.

"What? Stel, you have to go."

"No, I don't."

"You are his best friend; you have to be there for him. Who's going to convince him he's doing the right thing an hour before they get married?"

"Not me," Stella sighs. "I want nothing to do with him."

"Stella," Don says, "you don't mean that."

"Yes, I do."

"What if he breaks down because it reminds him of Claire? Who'll help him?"

"One of you guys."

"You're the only one he listens to."

She sighs, "You two are a pain. Fine, I'll go. Happy?"

"Yes," Lindsay smiles. "Saturday we're going shopping for dresses."

"What are you going to say about them during toasts?" Flack teases.

"If I wanted to be cruel, I'd get up them and say how jealous she is of me and how much of a jerk he is. But… I'll be nice and keep my mouth shut for the day."

"What's gotten into her?" Lindsay mouths.

Don shrugs. "We're going out for a drink later, Stel."

"Good idea, Flack. I'll get drunk at the wedding so I won't have to remember it."

"Remember what?" Mac enters.

"You and Peyton kissing. Where're you taking her for your honeymoon?"

"We're in the process of planning a trip to Hawaii," he ignores her rude comment.

Stella gets up and leaves, heading to the bathroom.

"_It's really good to hear your voice saying my name_

_It sounds so sweet_

_Coming from the lips of an angel_

_Hearing those words, it makes me weak"_

The night before the wedding, Mac again calls Stella. "I'm sorry to wake you."

"I wasn't asleep," she answers, staring at the ceiling. Flack stirs beside her but doesn't wake. "What do you need now, Mac?"

"Do you think I'm doing the right thing by marrying Peyton?"

"You know how screwed up my life is. What are you asking me about right and wrong for?"

"Because you're honest."

"I really don't know what you should do."

He changes the subject temporarily. "How are things going with Flack?"

"Alright."

"What exactly are you two doing? Are you dating or still considering yourselves just friends?"

"I guess we're dating since we've been sleeping together."

"Stella," Don mumbles, "who're you talking to at this hour?"

"Mac."

"Oh. Can't he wait at least six more hours?"

"Apparently not. Go back to sleep," she kisses him.

"Are you dressed?" Mac asks curiously.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just answer."

"In my pajamas, yeah. I'd really like to get some sleep tonight, Mac, or you and Peyton might get a very bad and impolite toast tomorrow," Stella yawns.

"I still haven't solved my problem: am I doing the right thing?"

"I can't answer that. Just follow your heart tomorrow."

"Good night, Stella," he says. "In case I never get the chance to tell you this, I love you."

"I love you too. See you tomorrow."

"_And I never want to say goodbye_

_But, girl, you make it hard to be faithful_

_With the lips of an angel"_

"Do you, Peyton Driscoll, take Mac to be your husband?" the priest asks.

"I do," Peyton smiles at Mac.

Stella leans her head on Flack's shoulder, sitting in the front pew with the rest of the team not in the wedding. So far, she had managed not to let her tears out and hoped to keep it that way.

"Do you, Mac Taylor, take Peyton to be your wife?"

Mac pauses, watching her closely. "No."

"What?" Peyton yells.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this. It's not right," he walks out the doors, leaving her standing at the front of the church.

"What did you do to him?" she demands, pointing a finger at Stella.

"I didn't do anything to him, Peyton."

"Yeah, right. You get out there and tell him to get back up here. We're getting married."

"I don't think he ever loved you."

"Stella, go stop him before he leaves."

"It's not my fault he doesn't love you. I have no control over him," Stella follows him into a small room. "She's really mad at you."

Mac stops pacing. "But I don't love her."

"You have to explain that to her. She won't listen to what I say."

"Is she blaming you for this?"

She nods. "Peyton thinks this is all my fault, that I have some sort of control over what you do."

"Don't blame yourself. I did what you told me to," he touches her cheek.

"That's good, Mac."

"I love you." His lips meet hers.

"_And I never wanna say goodbye_

_But, girl, you make it hard to be faithful_

_With the lips of an angel"_

"Mac Taylor, what the hell are you doing?" Peyton stands in the doorway, astounded to find them kissing.

"It's over, Peyton. I don't love you."

"How can you leave me for her?"

"Easy: I love her," Mac puts an arm around Stella.

"I should have know you would do this to me, you little - "

"Stella wasn't involved in this at all."

"Like I'd believe that."

"I'm going to meet you outside," Stella whispers, heading out the door.

Five minutes later, it opens again, and Mac walks out calmly. "What are you going to do about your boyfriend?"

"Don won't care. The whole reason we got together was because you started dating Peyton. Besides, I think he had his eye on that new lab tech the other day."

He chuckles, "I hate to see these nice outfits go to waste. Let's go out to dinner, someplace fancy."

"You're in a tux. By the way, you look very handsome."

"You're gorgeous," Mac kisses her cheek. "Shall we go now? Or do you need to break up with Don first?"

"He's a smart guy; I think he knows we are over."

"What a nice way to dump me, Stella," Flack comes up behind her. "You two get out of here. Peyton's family isn't too happy."

"Thanks for understanding, Don," she kisses him.

"Now, where did I put that phone number?" he digs in his pocket.

"We'd better leave," Stella takes his arm, "before an angry mob attacks us for ruining the wedding."

"I'm sorry I never realized what I wanted and needed was right there in front of me. How in the world did I miss you?"

"I don't know," she shakes her head. "I love you, Mac."

"I love you too, Stella."

"_Honey, why you calling me so late?"_

**A/N: Hinder. Or Jack Ingram, I found out today, sings the song too. I like the Hinder version better. I decided to redo this since it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to in Because I Knew You. The other story will be posted Tuesday-ish. Tonight I'll start typing my new story. Hopefully that one will begin late next week. I have no idea when I'll get my story from study hall up, but it's only about half done. I really want it to be all up here by the time we find out if Stella is positive or not. So I've noticed there haven't been many Stella and Mac stories recently. Did everyone run out of ideas? We have OGTs this week (Ohio Graduation Tests for the many of you who wouldn't know because you don't live in Ohio). Actually, it's only a practice test for me since I'm a freshman. But if I pass, I don't have to take my finals except for electives. So in Western Civ, my history class, we just finised talking about the French Revolution and Napoleon. I found out that the new CSI:NY episode in two Wednesdays is about two people dying at a UN fund raiser thing with the theme being the French Revoluton. Anyway, I appreciate all your reviews.**


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